Papelbon: “Of Course” I Want to Pitch For a Contender

The hot news out of Milwaukee isn’t the fact that the Phillies took three straight from the team that entered their series with the best record in the National League. No, it is the fact that Jonathan Papelbon has reportedly stated his desire to play for a team in contention before the end of the month. His quotes and post game actions are captured here by Ryan Lawrence:

After the game, Papelbon said in so many words – some were nods, even – that he’d like to be on a new team before the July 31 trade deadline

Opinion: I don’t blame Papelbon one bit. Papelbon was sold on the Phillies as a contender at the time he signed and they have not contended, save for a few weeks in early 2012, since he came to Philadelphia. Papelbon is pitching his best season since signing with the Phillies and may be of interest to contenders like the Angels or Tigers around the trade deadline.